La Cremà de las Fallas 2010

Last night in Valencia, more than 750 monuments were burned during La Cremà — the official end to the Fallas celebrations. Convento Jerusalén was first prize in Special edition. Thousands of people crowded into the streets and on every balcony, to watch a huge fireball raze this beautiful sculpture into nothingness.

Within minutes the flame had consumed everything recognizable, leaving only a tall, burning framework, which soon collapsed. The air was covered with thick, black smoke and the firefighters were constantly at work containing the blaze. It was all over so quickly.

At the end, the mood of the city had changed. The last 19 days had been great. Now that it was over, everything seemed unreal — the day-long parades, the mascletàs, the constant firecrackers, the ninots.

But, at the same time, starts the countdown for Fallas 2011.